Locksmith Van Decals: Name, Number and a Shield Logo

Locksmith van decals should be built for someone who is locked out, late, or comparing three vans on one street. Put the business name, the word "locksmith" and a phone number on both sides, in lettering that contrasts with the paint. Extra lines are optional, and each one you add makes the important three smaller.

Read it like a customer on a bad day

Most people who look at a locksmith van are not browsing. They have a problem right now, or they are a neighbor who noticed a van parked at a house and wants to know who it belongs to. Both groups want the same thing: a real company name and a number to call.

That is a good reason to keep the layout plain. A van covered in key icons, lock graphics and five phone numbers looks busier and less specific than a van with one confident name and one number. Trust comes from clarity, and the lettering can be the calm part of the vehicle.

What goes on a locksmith van

• Business name. The largest line. Use the name that matches your website and your listings.
• Trade. "Locksmith" or "Lockout and key service." If you handle cars, homes or both, one short phrase can say so.
• Phone. With area code, and the same number every time.
• Service area. A city or county, only if it is true and short.

About license numbers: some states license locksmiths and some do not, and the rules about displaying a number differ. Check with your state licensing board whether it wants a number shown on the vehicle. If it does, put it on a line of its own so it does not crowd the phone number.

Hours are a claim too. Print "24 hours" only if a person actually answers at 3 a.m.

Sample layouts on a cargo van

Made-up text, so swap in your own. Cargo vans often have a flat front door panel and a larger area on the side or sliding door, so you can use two sizes.

Cab doors, simple:

• Keyline Lock and Key
• Locksmith
• (555) 010-0142

Sliding door, more detail:

• Keyline Lock and Key
• Home, auto and business
• Licensed, ID No. 000000
• (555) 010-0142

The first fits the Business Name + Phone decal, where the middle line is optional. The second has four lines, so use the Make-Your-Own 5-Line and leave the spare line empty or use it for your website. Only print "Licensed" if you hold a license and your state is fine with that wording. See our overview of lettering for cargo vans and Sprinters for placement ideas on van panels.

The keyhole shield logo

The Keyhole Shield Locksmith Logo pairs a black shield with a gold keyhole beside two lines of gold capitals, "Keystone" over "Locksmith". It reads as security without drawing a key or a padlock, and the horizontal shape fits a van's door panel or a side sliding door better than a stacked logo does. Your own name is fitted to the design and you approve a proof before printing. It is $120 per door.

The caution is color. Gold capitals have less contrast than black ones, and gold against a white or light-colored van is the weakest part of this design. It is stronger on a dark van. Look at the proof with your paint color in mind, and read how contrast works in our fonts and colors guide.

Contour cut or rectangle

For the logo designs, the optional contour cut (+$10 per door) cuts the decal to the shape of the logo instead of a rectangle. On a shield design that means the shield outline stays on your paint without a box around it. If your van is dark, the black shield may blend into the paint, so the rectangle can be the more readable choice. When the decals arrive, here is how to install them.